Argento Chase |
|
| Grade 2 £100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f 110y, Class 1 |
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| Saturday 25th January 2014 | |
1 The Giant Bolster 6/1
2
Rocky Creek 6/4
3 Harry Topper 6/1
7 ran Distances: 7l, hd, 4½l
TIME 7m 7.90s (slow by 48.90s)
The Giant Bolster won for the third time out of the last four runnings of the Festival Trials fixture, taking the feature £100,000 Grade Two Argento Chase by seven lengths from favourite Rocky Creek, with Harry Topper a head away as a staying-on third.
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The winning trainer David Bridgwater said: "We have been scratching our heads. At home, The Giant Bolster has been better than ever but on the course for whatever reason he hasn't done it until today. The hood and visor have helped and he loves it at Cheltenham.
"A winning ride is always brilliant. The Giant Bolster has been placed in two Cheltenham Gold Cups - he is a good horse. In reality he was a bloody certainty today but was he? He deserved to win a big one. This is the third time he has won at this meeting. If we can come back to the Gold Cup, he must have an each-way chance because he does perform around here. This morning I was saying we should not run him but the owner Simon (Hunt) wanted to. That is the beauty of racing - you cannot get it right all the time. The hood gets him away from the hustle and bustle of the race. It has worked out wonderful. I could not survive another race before the Gold Cup. It is beyond brilliant - we have equalled our best season now and to win a race like this is what dreams are made of."
Tom Scudamore, the winning rider, said: "I am delighted for Bridgie and all the owners - they have never lost faith in him. They are willing to try something different with the headgear and it is has worked today. I am delighted - he has always been a good horse - it has been getting his head right. He is a bit like the trainer - a bit odd. I have got to say thank you for David (Pipe) in flying me from Doncaster. It has worked out fantastically."
Kim Bailey said of Harry Topper: "He is all guts - a remarkable horse. He has given 10lb to the winner and 5lb to the second. He is not built to be a racehorse. I thought he jumped better today. His problem is if he is on the wrong stride, he goes slowly into the fence to put himself right but that's him - he is a very ungainly individual. I think the cheek pieces worked and Jason (Maguire) felt he jumped better than he has ever done. I was thrilled with the horse - to me he is only a baby."
Argento Chase
(Registered As The Cotswold Chase) (Grade 2)
£100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f 110y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Heavy, Soft in places
| Horse Trainer |
Jockey Weight |
Starting Price Beaten Distance |
|
| 1 |
The Giant Bolster D G Bridgwater |
T Scudamore 11st 0lbs |
6 - 1 Winner |
| 2 |
Rocky Creek P F Nicholls |
D A Jacob 11st 5lbs |
6 - 4 7 lengths |
| 3 |
Harry Topper K C Bailey |
J M Maguire 11st 10lbs |
6 - 1 Head |
| 4 |
Houblon Des Obeaux Miss V Williams |
Aidan Coleman 11st 6lbs |
7 - 2 4 1/2 lengths |
| 5 |
Restless Harry R Dickin |
C Poste 11st 6lbs |
14 - 1 7 lengths |
| 6 |
Champion Court M Keighley |
Ian Popham 11st 6lbs |
9 - 1 3 1/2 lengths |
| 7 |
Pigeon Island N A Twiston-Davies |
Sam Twiston-Davies 11st 4lbs |
66 - 1 31 lengths |
ARGENTO CHASE - Past Results
Year Horse Owner Trainer Weight Jockey SP
1980 Raffi Nelson Mrs P Fry Nicky Henderson 7-11-06 Steve Smith Eccles 5/2
1981 Little Owl R Wilson Peter Easterby 7-11-12 Mr Jim Wilson 8/11f
1982 Lesley Ann B Gaule David Elsworth 8-11-12 Colin Brown 5/2
1983 Combs Ditch Jim Tory David Elsworth 7-11-08 Colin Brown 6/1
1984 Everett Kilian Hennessy Fulke Walwyn 9-11-08 Stuart Shilston 15/8f
1985 West Tip Peter Luff Michael Oliver 8-11-06 Richard Dunwoody 5/2
1986 Misty Spirit Mrs E Dixon Donald Lee 7-11-06 Steve Smith Eccles 9/1
1987 Abandoned
1988* Twin Oaks John Moreton David Murray-Smith 8-11-06 Paul Croucher 6/1
1989 Deep Moment Mrs M Curtis Mercy Rimell 7-11-03 Dermot Browne 12/1
1990 Toby Tobias Elizabeth Hitchins Jenny Pitman 8-11-06 Mark Pitman 5/4
1991 Celtic Shot D E H Horton Charlie Brooks 9-11-12 Peter Scudamore 8/11f
1992 Abandoned
1993 Sibton Abbey Geoff Hubbard Ferdy Murphy 8-11-12 Steve Smith Eccles 16/1
1994 Dubacilla Veronica Cole Henry Cole 8-10-12 Dean Gallagher 8/1
1995 Master Oats Paul Matthews Kim Bailey 9-11-06 Norman Williamson 6/4f
1996 Abandoned
1997 One Man John Hales Gordon Richards 9-11-12 Richard Dunwoody 2/5f
1998 See More Business John Keighley/Paul Barber Paul Nicholls 8-11-06 Timmy Murphy 9/4f
1999 Cyfor Malta David Johnson Martin Pipe 6-11-06 A P McCoy 10/11f
2000 Looks Like Trouble Tim Collins Noel Chance 8-11-06 Norman Williamson 100/30
2001 See More Business Paul Barber/Robert Ogden Paul Nicholls 11-11-10 Mick Fitzgerald 9/4
2002 Rince Ri Frank Moriarty Ted Walsh IRE 9-11-10 Ruby Walsh 9/2
2003 Behrajan The Behrajan Partnership Henry Daly 8-11-06 Richard Johnson 9/2
2004 Jair Du Cochet Miriam Montauban Guillaume Macaire FR 7-11-10 Jacques Ricou 11/4
2005 Grey Abbey The Roper Family/Norman Furness Howard Johnson 11-11-10 Graham Lee 100/30
2006** See You Sometime J Meaden Seamus Mullins 11-11-05 Andrew Thornton 18/1
2007 Exotic Dancer Sir Robert Ogden Jonjo O’Neill 7-11-06 A P McCoy 6/1
2008 Knowhere Raymond Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies 10-11-04 Paddy Brennan 16/1
2009 Joe Lively Richard Dimond Colin Tizzard 10-11-06 Joe Tizzard 11/1
2010 Taranis Angela Yeoman Paul Nicholls 9-11-00 Nick Scholfield 16/1
2011 Neptune Collonges John Hales Paul Nicholls 10-11-00 A P McCoy 11/2
2012 Midnight Chase Lady Clarke Neil Mulholland 10-11-06 Dougie Costello 11/2
2013 Cape Tribulation David Abell Malcolm Jefferson 9-11-06 Denis O’Regan 7/1
* Cavvies Clown was first past the post in 1988, but subsequently failed a dope test ** Staged at Wincanton
